Best looking graphics of the generation: 16-bit

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Graphics have never stopped being a hot topic and in the previews for major releases, it is often the hottest topic of conversation, even though it is a factor that actually has very little connection to how good gameplay a game has. Really nice graphics are simply very popular and obviously the first thing we notice when we go from one console generation to another.

This makes it difficult to choose the best-looking game in the world, as you always have to take into account when they were released. For example, can Battletoads for the NES be compared to Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast or Gears of War for the Xbox 360? That's why I'm going to try to choose the ten best games of each generation and only compare within that generation. The focus is on consoles (since they have the clearest generational divisions), and after first ranking the so-called generation three - earlier than that doesn't make much sense since the games were so primitive - it's now time for perhaps the most mythical generation of them all...

(10) Ristar (Mega Drive / 1995)

Few generations have seen such an incredible leap between the first games and the last as the 16-bit era. Sure, there were great games early on, but they were glorified 8-bit games in many cases, while towards the end they were downright beastly looking. There were many games fighting for this spot, I can tell you (including Aladdin, Mega Man X, Vectorman and Streets of Rage 2) but no matter how I looked at it, this now slightly obscure title was still going to get in. Ristar may not have become an established platform mascot, but his adventure was almost improbably delicious and a testament to the magic the Mega Drive could deliver in the right hands.

(09) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES / 1991)
Released back in 1991, this is one of the first games for Super Nintendo. But... of course, it doesn't matter when everything falls into place. Link's third adventure is and remains an absolute masterpiece in terms of animation, clever use of effects, clear graphics and pixel art. Sure, there were later better-looking games, but honestly, there were only eight of them, which puts this one at number nine.

(08) Final Fantasy VI (SNES / 1994)

When talking about the most visually impressive games of the 16-bit era, Final Fantasy VI always comes up, and it's not hard to see why. Square's third attempt in the series managed to push the Super Nintendo to the limit with detailed sprites, dynamic lighting effects and cinematically directed sequences that hold up to this day. Every environment, from the bleak industrial city of Narshe to the overgrown post-disaster world, is alive and the characters express emotions with tiny movements and glances, long before polygons could do it for them. Final Fantasy VI is simply an example of how art and technology can meet in perfect and timeless balance.

(07) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Mega Drive / 1993)

This was also included in my ninja list, but of course it should also be included here. Sega managed to create a visually stunning, stylish and absolutely cool ninja world with lots of life and movement. However, it is the animations that really stand out. Joe Musashi moves with a grace like few other game heroes in the genre, in a constant flow that makes the adventure feel modern even today. Complemented by a colour palette that perfectly captures the right balance between Japanese mysticism and 90s action aesthetics, there's no doubt that this is some of the most gorgeous pixel art in gaming history.

(06) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES / 1995)

When Nintendo announced that they would be using the Super FX 2 chip in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, many expected three-dimensional graphics. But Nintendo liked to surprise even then, and used the extra horsepower to go against the trends of the era. While the competition wanted to be as hard and cool as possible, here we got a playful, hand-painted look that made the whole game look like a living storybook. Crayons, watercolours and childishly charming shapes gave Yoshi's Island a unique style that no other title on the Super Nintendo (or Mega Drive) could match. Yoshi's Island is proof that graphical style can be as memorable as technical prowess. A game that not only looked great in 1995, but still feels vibrant, creative and irresistibly charming.

(05) Axelay (SNES / 1992)

Of course I'm not going to ignore Axelay on this list. Konami managed to combine fast-paced shoot 'em up action with a graphical style that was completely innovative. What really stands out is how the game delivers such huge and varied environments, complete with a perspective we rarely got to see. Add to this the game's giant bosses and incredible effects, and we have a prime example of how good it can get when technical brilliance meets aesthetic ambition.

(04) Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive / 1994)

The idea was that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would be one huge game, but that simply couldn't be solved at the time, so it was split into two games. The wild minds at Sega, as usual, tried everything new, and invented the possibility of putting the game together as one giant cartridge for an unrivalled Sonic. Sega used everything they had learnt and piled on more still in a game that is perhaps the second most technically impressive of this era in terms of volume, variety, animation and effects. Technical brilliance, through and through - and a terribly good game at that.

(03) Secret of Mana (SNES / 1991)

This was supposed to be released for the PlayStation add-on that Nintendo and Sony were working on for the Super Nintendo. But... it was cancelled and the game had to leave the CD format and be squeezed onto a cassette. It should have been a semi-impossible project, but Square pulled it off and offered a really cool role-playing game with extra everything. Graphically, it may be comparable to the aforementioned Final Fantasy VI, but we can't ignore the fact that this is action-based and thus has a completely different look - and can also be played by three people. An outright masterpiece.

(02) Street Fighter II Turbo (SNES / 1992)

Back when Street Fighter II was released, Capcom pushed the boundaries of what we could expect from the new generation. Suddenly, we had arcade machines sitting on our TVs at home, it seemed. But it was with the Turbo version that they really got it right. Graphically, it was spruced up, we could fight like the bosses and the speed was turned up, while the animations were on a whole new level. It's no coincidence that both me and Petter have often had this game as our wallpapers, every little screen is a true work of art.

(01) Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES / 1996)

Sure, Donkey Kong Country would have fit right in at number one. However, it was with Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble that Rare once and for all took Super Nintendo graphics to whole new levels. It wasn't just the colourful backgrounds and detailed sprites, but the entire world building was impressive. We've heard many buzzwords in the world of graphics come and go, but Rare's Advanced Graphics System delivered on its promise with an almost three-dimensional heft, as well as animation work that has to be seen to be understood. That's not even mentioning the visual treats of moving elements like waterfalls, falling tree trunks and dynamic lighting effects that brought each track to life in a way we never saw in this era.